Northeast groundfishermen have finally gotten something they've wanted for a long time — national media exposure highlighting the controversy surrounding NOAA enforcement practices.

Wednesday night, the "CBS Evening News" broadcast a story examining NOAA's aggressive fisheries enforcement practices in the northeast. The story ran 3 minutes and 51 seconds; that's a lifetime in a television newscast. Reporter Armen Keteyian did a good job of outlining the enforcement problems and letting fishermen illustrate the disastrous effects the enforcement practices have had upon Northeast fishermen. If you haven't seen the story yet, you can watch it on the CBS News website. http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7356343n

So a network TV news organization has broadcast the story; now what? Will network TV exposure be enough to turn a white-hot spotlight on NOAA? CBS broadcasting the story is a big deal, but in and of itself, the broadcast won't remedy the situation. However, the story can be a valuable tool in educating the mainstream media, general public and Congress about the situation.

Every member of Congress needs to see this story, which means you — yes, you — need to send them the link so that they can view it for themselves. Post it on YouTube, share it on Facebook and other social media platforms. The more the story spreads, the more a groundswell of public opinion will form that federal fisheries policies must change.

Getting the support of the public and Congress will be key to having any changes made. The proverbial snowball is starting to roll downhill. Now it's time to help it gather some serious speed.

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